Unabated rage against Assad regime

Thousands of protesters returned to the streets of Damascus on Sunday as funerals for those killed in a reported massacre by government forces last Friday were held.

Human rights groups claimed that at least 15 people were shot dead on Friday during protests in the neighbourhood of Douma, which lies north-east of Damascus. Some organisations claim that up to 22 protesters may have been killed, and that more than 100 were wounded.

Angry mourners chanted “down with the regime" as eight of the victims were buried. They were believed to have been targeted by government snipers.

“This was the systematic killing of peaceful and unarmed citizens by security forces," said Radwan Ziadeh, head of the Damascus Centre for Human Rights Studies

The centre is one of several organisations that have collated accounts of the incident.

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Witnesses said that thugs were brought in by government forces to attack demonstrators. Journalists and diplomats were prevented from reaching the area over the weekend.

Details of the bloodshed emerged as beleaguered Syrian President Bashar al-Assad appointed former agriculture minister Adel Safar to form a new government. Mr Assad fired his cabinet last Tuesday in an unsuccessful attempt to quell unrest.

UN Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon
said he was “deeply concerned" by reports of civilian casualties.

A government source told Sana, the state news agency, that security forces were not responsible for the violence in Douma and blamed the deaths on an “armed group" that opened fire from rooftops on protesters and policemen.